The meditation experience demystified—an essential guide to what goes on in meditation centers of many spiritual traditions. Today's would-be student of meditation is confronted with such a wealth of available traditions from which to learn that it can make the prospect intimidating. Where should I start? Which one should I try? Come and Sit is the perfect companion to guide you on your way. From Christian centering prayer, to Sufi dhikr (chanting the names of God), to Zen Buddhist zazen (formal silent meditation), this book demystifies both the kinds of meditation practiced in different spiritual traditions and the places people go to do them—and gives you a real feel for which method might suit you best. Why do people meditate? How might meditation affect my life? What kinds of meditation are there? What do people do in each meditation tradition? Do I have to be a member of a specific religion topractice meditation? Where should I start? Meditator and journalist Marcia Z. Nelson addresses all of these questions as she takes you on visits to meditation centers of seven different types—Christian, Zen, Insight (Vipassana), Tibetan, Hindu, Sufi, and Jewish—representing the wide range of spiritual traditions that can now be found throughout America. She shows what a typical visit to each is like and talks to the teachers and the people who go there to discover how they got started, why they keep going, and what benefits they derive from the practice. A list of further resources for in-depth exploration of each tradition, a directory of centers, and a glossary of terms make this guide exactly what you need to start meditating. Come and Sit is not only a handbook for the beginning meditator, but also an excellent resource for anyone who wants to know more about the world's great meditation traditions.

Oprah Winfrey is arguably the most well-known and most well-liked woman in the world today. Every day her television show reaches millions of viewers, and if you include her magazine, website, book club, television network, and movie production company, her influence is without compare. Indeed, she has been nicknamed The Queen of All Media. Yet unlike many celebrities, Winfrey's is an overwhelmingly and unerringly positive public persona. In this book, religion reporter Marcia Nelson explores the spiritual dimensions that are prevalent in all aspects of the Oprah Winfrey media empire. Though Oprah is rarely explicitly religious on her television show or magazine, Nelson points out that there are several major Christian themes that weave through these aspects of her life and work: confession, redemption, healing, mission, forgiveness, and salvation. Nelson concludes that Oprah is a compelling spiritual teacher in a spiritually eclectic and ever-practical America. This book will appeal both to Oprah fans and people who are fascinated by the intersection of religion and popular culture.